Field chopping machine attachable to a tractor

ABSTRACT

A field chopping machine including a chaff-cutting device provided with feeding, pressing, cutting implements, and a pickup or receiving apparatus, said device and apparatus being of substantially the same width and attached to a tractor, oriented in the longitudinal axis thereof and disposed laterally adjacent the rear wheel of the tractor; the pickup apparatus comprises a tandem cutting assembly which is separable, horizontally arranged in operating position and upwardly pivotable to a travel position; the tractor drive means is coupled to the field chopper such as to enable attaching a wagon thereto and to operate the field chopper off the tractor drive, the total width of tractor and field chopper during travel being no more than 2.73 yards, thereby meeting public road traffic regulations for vehicles with hitched-on equipment.

United States Patent Scherer et al.

[451 Feb. 1,1972

[54] FIELD CHOPPING MACHINE ATTACHABLE TO A TRACTOR [72] Inventors:Lorenz Scherer, Oberelchingen; Heinrich [21] Appl. No.: 747,285

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 26, 1967 Germany ..E 25545[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,274 7/1931 Ronning etal ..56/15 2,442,520 6/ 1948 Van Skkle .56/1 19 X 2,595,336 5/1952Corsentino .56/15 3,095,045 6/1963 Ennis et a1 ..56/25.4 UX 3,229,451 1/1966 Wenzel et a1. 3,304,698 2/ 1967 l-lerbsthofer ..56/20 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Switzerland ..56/24 609,620 9/1956 GermanyPrimary Examiner-Robert Peshock Assistant Examiner-J. A. OliffAttorney-Silverman & Cass [57] ABSTRACT A field chopping machineincluding a chaff-cutting device provided with feeding, pressing,cutting implements, and a pickup or receiving apparatus, said device andapparatus being of substantially the same width and attached to atractor, oriented in the longitudinal axis thereof and disposedlaterally adjacent the rear wheel of the tractor; the pickup apparatuscomprises a tandem cutting assembly which is separable, horizontallyarranged in operating position and upwardly pivotable to a travelposition; the tractor drive means is coupled to the field chopper suchas to enable attaching a wagon thereto and to operate the field chopperoff the tractor drive, the total width of tractor and field chopperduring travel being no more than 2.73 yards, thereby meeting public roadtraffic regulations for vehicles with hitched-on equipment.

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1. Field chopping machine having at least one chopper attachable to atractor to which a wagon is connected by pulling means including atraction pole, said chopper having an attachment frame which projectslaterally over the tractor and supports a chaff-cutting device havingpickup device, including means on the attachment frame for connectingsame to the tractor such as to leave the pulling means freely accessibleat all times, and means associated with the frame and the tractor forfastening the wagon to the tractor such as to assure maximalmaneuverablility of the traction pole, the attachment frame comprising acrossbar, including means for positioning the pickup device horizontallywhen in operating position, means for pivoting the pickup deviceupwardly to a transport position, and means for locking same therein,telescopic means for lengthening the crossbar such as to form supportmeans for lateral attachment of the field chopper to a tractor having atraction jaw, the crossbar extending from the frame to a point beyondthe center of the tractor, clutch bolts mounted on the crossbar, lowerguide rods, connected to the clutch bolts, and upward guide rod, andmeans for coupling the upper guide rod to the crossbar, wherein themeans for coupling the upper guide rod comprise two braces fastened tothe crossbar in an upright position to the tractor extendingapproximately to the traction jaw, a bow freely pivotably mounted on thebraces and having a bearing eye slidably and lockably mounted thereon,said bearing eye capable of being connected to a point of attachment ofthe upper guide rod to the tractor.
 2. Field chopper according to claim1, wherein the pickup device and the chaff-cutting device form withfeeding, pressing and cutting organs, a narrow, elongated structuralunit, arranged in the longitudinal axis of the tractor, the pickupdevice and the chaff-cutting device being of about the same width andarranged laterally near the rear wheel of the tractor, the pickup deviceincluding a removable row cutting mechanism being arranged in front ofthe chaff-cutting device and projecting thereover, all organs of the rowcutting mechanism and the chaff-cutter being positioned between twosidewalls forming a unit, the side walls being connected with each otherat a distance which equals approximately the width of the organs andforming together a self-supporting frame for the field chopper.
 3. Fieldchopper according to claim 1 wherein the sides of the bow facing thecrossbar extend in a substantially horizontal direction, the sidesfacing the point of attachment on the tractor extend in a substantiallyvertical direction, and the last-mentioned sides being provided with aplurality of perforations.
 4. Field chopper according to claim 1,wherein the center lines of the lower guide rods and the braces in alowered position intersect at a point which is located behind the pivotpoints of the lower guide rods, the position and the distance of thepoint from the pivot points being selectable.
 5. Field chopper accordingto claim 2, wherein the chaff-cutting device and the pickup device forma harvesting mechanism which is detachably connected to the attachmentframe, and including a first supporting wheel mounted on the attachmentframe for supporting the harvesting mechanism, the pickup devicecomprising a guide sprocket wheel freely slidable in chain-tensiondirection under the tension of a spring, and a stop provided near theguide sprocket wheel at a distance which is smaller than a circledescribed by catch hooks around the center of the guide sprocket wheelwhen the spring is untensioned.
 6. Field chopper according to claim 5,wherein the harvesting mechanism comprises a drive shaft positionedahead of the cluTch bolts, and further including a miter gear having auniversal shaft connecting pin disposed behind the clutch bolts. 7.Field chopper according to claim 6, wherein the miter gear comprises adrive shaft which is disposed in an approximately parallel staggeredposition relative to the drive shaft of the harvesting mechanism, thetwo drive shafts being connected by a first pair of spur wheels. 8.Field chopper according to claim 7, wherein the drive shaft of the mitergear is connected to the drive shaft of the harvesting mechanism througha universal-joint shaft.
 9. Field chopper according to claim 6, whereinthe miter gear includes an intermediate gear in the form of a secondpair of spur wheels.
 10. Field chopper according to claim 1, including athree point linkage comprising said lower guide rods and the upper guiderod, the attachment frame being connectable to said linkage and theattachment frame being disposed above the traction pole.
 11. Fieldchopper according to claim 10, including an arm mounted to saidcrossbar, in an oblique downward direction outside of the rear wheel ofthe tractor, and drive-transmission means and connecting means for aharvesting mechanism being provided on said arm.
 12. Field chopperaccording to claim 11, wherein the crossbar comprises coupling bolts forarranging the attachment frame below the traction pole, said clutchbolts constructed and adapted for arranging the attachment frame abovethe traction pole.
 13. Field chopper according to claim 5, wherein thereis provided on the harvesting mechanism in front of its center ofgravity in the range of an extension of the tractor rear-wheel axle, asecond supporting wheel which is pivotable by means of a hydraulicworking cylinder, with the pressure side of the lifting cylinder of thetractor power lifter being connected with the working cylinder on theharvesting mechanism, so that pressure oil, whose pressure is generatedby the weight of the lifted mechanism, may be transmitted at a selectedmoment from the lifting cylinder to the working cylinder.
 14. Fieldchopper according to claim 5, including means for connecting the frontend of the harvesting mechanism to lifting rods of a tractor mower, andmeans for adjusting the position and length of the connecting meansbetween the lifting rods and the harvesting mechanism.